Wednesday Open Thread: Celebs in the Civil Rights Movement

James Baldwin, whose passionate, intensely personal essays in the 1950’s and 60’s on racial discrimination in America made him an eloquent voice of the civil-rights movement. Mr. Baldwin published his three most important collections of essays -”Notes of a Native Son” (1955), ”Nobody Knows My Name” (1961) and ”The Fire Next Time” (1963) – during the years when the civil-rights movement was exploding across the American South.

Mr. Baldwin’s prose, with its apocalyptic tone – a legacy of his early exposure to religious fundamentalism – and its passionate sense of advocacy, seemed perfect for a period in which blacks in the South lived under continual threat of racial violence and in which civil-rights workers faced brutal beatings and even death.

In the preface to his 1964 play, ”Blues for Mister Charlie,” noting that the work had been inspired ”very distantly” by the 1955 murder of a black youth, Emmett Till, in Mississippi, Mr. Baldwin wrote:

”What is ghastly and really almost hopeless in our racial situation now is that the crimes we have committed are so great and so unspeakable that the acceptance of this knowledge would lead, literally, to madness. The human being, then, in order to protect himself, closes his eyes, compulsively repeats his crimes, and enters a spiritual darkness which no one can describe.”

Baldwin and Bayard Rustin, 1963

When he wrote about the movement, Baldwin aligned himself with the ideals of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) and the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). In 1963 he conducted a lecture tour of the South for CORE, traveling to locations like Durham and Greensboro, North Carolina and New Orleans, Louisiana.

By the Spring of 1963, Baldwin had become so much a spokesman for the Civil Rights Movement that for its May 17 issue on the turmoil in Birmingham, Alabama, Time magazine put James Baldwin on the cover.

“There is not another writer,” said Time, “who expresses with such poignancy and abrasiveness the dark realities of the racial ferment in North and South.”

Mr. Baldwin also made a prominent appearance at the March on Washington on August 28, 1963. After a bomb exploded in a Birmingham church not long after the March, Baldwin called for a nationwide campaign of civil disobedience in response to this “terrifying crisis.”

Baldwin was a close friend of the singer, pianist, and civil rights activist Nina Simone. With Langston Hughes and Lorraine Hansberry, Baldwin helped awaken Simone to the civil rights movement. Later, Baldwin and Hansberry met with Robert F. Kennedy, along with Kenneth Clark and Lena Horne, in an attempt to persuade Kennedy of the importance of civil rights legislation.

Morning, Rigoletta. I love your screen name and your avatar! Have a great day.

rigoletta

Thanks and I hope you have a good day too.

GreenLadyHere

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNTIN’ rigoletta. ***BIG HUG*** :>)

Good 2 C U. :>) Have a good day. :>)

rigoletta

Morning. Hugs back. I hope you have a great day.

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

Mornin’ Errbody!

rigoletta

Good morning!

Alma98

Morning rikyrah!

rigoletta

What are the recall rules in SD? Filner’s got 11 women accusing him of sexual harassment at this point. If he won’t go they need to force this guy out.
—————————————————————————————Nurse seeking to aid wounded Marine says Bob Filner harassed her

SAN DIEGO — A nurse alleged Tuesday that Mayor Bob Filner sexually harassed her when she met with him to seek help for a Marine injured in Iraq.

Filner promised to help the Marine with the Department of Veterans Affairs but then told the nurse that she was attractive and that he wanted to take her on a date, according to the nurse and her attorney, Gloria Allred.

The nurse, Michelle Tyler, said she met with Filner when he was a congressmen and later as mayor….

The Marine who asked Tyler for help said she suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injury from her months in Iraq.

The Marine, Katherine Ragazzino, who also attended the news conference, said she was homeless when she turned to Tyler and then to Filner for assistance dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs and her disability claim.

Ragazzino is a retired staff sergeant who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan during a 10-year military career before being medically retired in 2009 because of her injuries, according to a website about injured military personnel.

“I don’t appreciate being used as a bargaining chip to fulfill his sexual desires,” Ragazzino said.

Seems no one is clear on the rules. They’re archaic and seldom used. Yet there are two separate recalls efforts going right now. it’s crazytime.

rigoletta

Lord. Thanks for the update.
And while the recall is going on Filner stays creepy and crazy. SMH.

conlakappa

Gross. He’s coming off like a latter-day Bob Packwood, who was just nasty and directed his lizard tongue at any woman within a one-mile radius.

Onto Baldwin, we had the album of his conversations with Margaret Meade and my folks would play it from time to time. Very thoughtful. The Fire Next Time is one of the most affecting books I ever read as a kid. I read it during the summertime though I cannot recall how I got my hands on it. Any way, the mood was set. I really like this, emphasis mine:

… “who expresses with such poignancy and abrasiveness the dark realities of the racial ferment in North and South.”

Realistic, innit? For all of the folks who’d claim that racism is a solely Southern problem. It isn’t and it never was.

Tea partiers get rowdy at town hall after GOP rep. says ‘no’ to govt. shutdown
By David Edwards
Tuesday, August 6, 2013 16:09 EDT

A Republican lawmaker in North Carolina faced a grilling from a group of tea party members on Monday after he said that he would not force the federal government to be shut down if President Barack Obama’s health care reform law was funded.

During a town town hall meeting at Queen’s University of Charlotte, Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC) was asked if he would join Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) and refuse to pass any continuing resolutions to fund the government until Obamacare was fully defunded.

“This is what the tea party wants to know,” the constituent said. “Will you vote with Mike Lee… to defund Obamacare? Yes or no?”

“Do you want me to give a thoughtful answer?” Pittenger asked.

“I want yes or no,” the tea partier demanded.

“No,” Pittenger said.

“If every Republican votes against it, it does not get funded, that’s a fact,” the questioner insisted.

“It has to pass the Senate and be signed by the president of the United States,” Pittenger explained. “Do you think Harry Reid is going to pass that in the Senate?”

“It doesn’t matter!” one woman yelled. “We need to show the American people we stand for conservative values!”

These idiots don’t even know how the govt. functions.
And notice how in explaining he didn’t mention the fact that Obama would never sign their order to defund it.
Reminding these nutcases that Obama is president and yes holds that power would have driven them over the edge.

Kennymack1971

They can’t defund Obamacare. It is here to stay. The GOP knows this but their idiot base is too far gone. A steady diet of Fox News and RW hate radio has brought them to this.Oh well GOP you reap what you sow.

jds09

This thing is like a pratfall, its gonna have to play itself out, there’s no stopping this thing IMO. The GOP in its current format will have to die.

jds09

What you reap you sow….that is as real as gravity. That woman yelling “It doesn’t matter!” says it all.

sagittarius

Good morning, POU Fam!

I hope all is well. I am in great need of prayer… I am almost at my wits end and becoming increasingly despondent about my continued unemployment. Thank you.

rigoletta

Stay strong. I have had two periods of long unemployment since 2007. Both for almost a year. The job I currently have isn’t secure. My company was bought out in January and some folks have been let go.
I am not scared though but I understand what you are going through.

sagittarius

Thank you, rigoletta

goldenstar

Sending Light for the upliftment and fulfillment for the Highest Good.

Keep at the search. There are positions opening and slowly being listed. Are you getting support in your search?

sagittarius

Thank you, goldenstar. I’m not sure what you mean by support… if there is something I need to do or try, I am all ears (or font!)

rigoletta

What state are you in? Do they have services to help you find a job?

sagittarius

I am in Illinois and I am registered with the office of employment security. I am on the line with them now.

rigoletta

OK. Good. Find out what they have.
In my county they actually force you to attend a day long seminar for resume writing, interviewing etc… once you are on unemployment for a certain period of time.
They also inform you of the free services and training they have available.

goldenstar

Not sure what fields/industries appeal to you but these two have non-profit organization listings: npo.net and idealist.org. Your search can be limited to particular geographic areas and types of positions and organizations. I’m in IL & use these.

sagittarius

Thank you, goldenstar

Kennymack1971

Good morning Sag. Just know prayers are going up for you and please be encouraged.

We will keep you pray’d up sag…..I know its rough, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

sagittarius

Thank you, Miranda

EpiphanySweet

Sending up prayers sis.

sagittarius

Thanks, sis

EpiphanySweet

Something fab is on the way sis, just taking a lil longer to get ready for you. ((HUGS))

sagittarius

((HUGS)) backatcha… thank you

jds09

His has great and wonderful plans for you. His timing is perfect.

sagittarius

Thank you, jds

qosine

Sagittarius, know that you are not alone. You are
wonderful with your niece, and with your background
a job will open up — any day. The other day you said
once you’ve been so far down, God will bring you up.
I quoted that last night to someone.

sagittarius

Thank you, qosine

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

Hang in there, Sagi. It will get better. I’ll keep you in my prayers.

sagittarius

Thank you, Sepia

Tunisia

I pray that God will be the source of your strength during this period of unemployment. Do not give up, do not lose hope. God is with you. He understands your situation and he cares deeply about you. Put your faith and trust in God even when it’s hard. He is with you in these difficult times.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

sagittarius

Thank you, Tunisia

TyrenM

Keep fighting the fight and doing the next right thing. You doing what you’re supposed to will get you where you need to be.

sagittarius

Thank you, Tyren

itgurl_29

Keep your head up, Sagittarius. I don’t know your exact situation but if you begin to feel very down, there are free and/or low cost counseling services available in most cities. Sometimes talking to a professional is a good way to emotionally help get through hard times. I know it helps me.

sagittarius

Thank you, itgurl

qosine

Yes, I agree with itgurl_29. Talking to a professional
really helps me, sagittarius. For me, they’ll present an angle, usually in sentences that jump out at me, and I can feel my heart lift.

sagittarius

I will try this… I need a different perspective. Thank you both.

Alma98

Sending good vibes and blessings your way sagittarius, also like you told me yesterday don’t give up.

sagittarius

Thank you, Alma

creolechild

Sag, I know it must be hard but keep your head up. Sending positive thoughts your way. You may want to check out the DOL website to see what resources are available job seekers in your state epartment.

The Associated Press @AP 9m
BREAKING: Yemen says it foiled an al-Qaida plot to take over key cities, blow up gas facilities

goldenstar

And, how much you wanna bet that US assisted w/ data & drones?

qosine

James Baldwin is one of my favorite writers and speakers.
Fantastic topic this week. That’s why people like West and
Smiley never registered for me. Hughes, Brooks, Dunbar,
Baldwin, Ellison, and Wright are incomparable for me.

isonprize

Corny and Travesty are NOT FIT TO SWEEP THE FLOOR where James Baldwin walked.

Can you just imagine what James Baldwin would say to Cornel West? Epic wouldn’t even begin to describe it…

The latest report from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention confirms that the First Lady’s Let’s Move campaign may have had a real impact on childhood obesity rates.
According to the report, the obesity rates for low income
preschoolers has gone down in 19 states between 2008 and 2011. That news will be music to the ears of Let’s Move supporters who were tasked with the specific goal of fighting childhood obesity.
– — SNIP —

– —Let’s Move recently launched a new campaign using hip-hop artists Doug E. Fresh and singer Jordin Sparks. The creative approach to encouraging a healthy lifestyle is the First Lady’s modus operandi, as she stealthily supplements her husband’s legislative efforts – i.e. Obamacare – to make America a healthier country overall.—Woo! Hoo! :>)
THERE IS MORE —-
—B BLESSED — -BELOVED FIRST LADY♥ —-With APPRECIATION. :>)

jds09

I love the billboards around SoCal that simply say the best drinks for children are water and 2% milk. That simple change could make a huge impact, less soda in sippy cups.

– — —During an appearance Tuesday night on The Tonight Show, President Obama told Jay Leno that he condemns Russia’s new anti-gay laws banning “gay propaganda” — i.e. any public display that supports orpromotes homosexuality. He has “no patience” for countries that target the LGBT community because he believes that people should be treated “fairly and justly”:

OBAMA: I’ve been very clear that when it comes to
universal rights, when it comes to people’s basic freedoms, that whether you are discriminating on the basis of race, religion, gender or sexual orientation, you are violating the basic morality that I think should transcend every country. And I have no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in ways that intimidate them or are harmful to them.
THERE IS MORE — —-PRINCIPLED LEADERSHIP♥ :>)

crazycanuck

and that is why he cancelled the meeting with Putin, not because of stupid Snowdon

rigoletta

And watch the usual lefty suspects who accuse him of not supporting gay rights say he should have done more.

qosine

Along with “He’s just using gay rights as a
cover for oppressing Snowden.”

By the way, has anyone received a call from your state department,
conducting a CDC (Center for Disease Control) survey for guys?
We did and my BF said the survey asked about health, preventive
care, height/weight, type of health care delivery. It took about 30
minutes.

Looks like Obamacare is definitely on its way (our Gov went with the Fed exchange, Thank God). And maybe he’s rethinking joining Jan Brewer with expanding Medicaid.

An effort by Democrats to fix a glitch under Obamacare that harms small churches is widely expected to be blocked by Republicans, in what would be the latest example of GOP efforts to undermine President Obama’s signature legislative achievement by refusing to fix technical problems encountered during implementation.

The problem is that under the law clergy and church employees at smaller churches cannot apply their Obamacare subsidies toward the premiums for church insurance plans because those plans do not qualify. That could force clergy and staff to leave their church insurance plans and use the Obamacare exchanges instead, threatening to rob church insurance plans of the participants they need to remain viable.

Legislation by Sens. Mark Pryor (D-AR) and Chris Coons (D-DE) would fix this problem by allowing Obamacare premium subsidies to be applied toward church plans that meet coverage requirements. It would also deem qualified church plans as satisfying the law’s coverage mandates.

If states can block the plan entirely can’t they also fix these things at that level too?
I’m sure no one wants to shift that burden on the states but I don’t see why the GOP would see that as a victory.

jds09

They aren’t thinking. Their hatred for anything attached to PBO is literally rotting their brains. SMH

Miranda

Grandpa shoulda gut punched him.

Bonus Quote of the Day”What are you going to do about it, grandpa?”

— Anthony Weiner, quoted by the New York Post, to a 69-year-old man who objected to Weiner touching him at an AARP mayoral forum.

Anthony Weiner is trash. Absolute trash. I was so glad back when the scandal first broke to see so many Dems, including the President and Nancy Pelosi, tell him to resign and lose their numbers. I didn’t like him then and I was right that he’s just a horrible human being. But most of these emo-left heros are terrible people. They admire this kind of nastiness just like the 2520s on the right admire nastiness.

BoomerGal

The progressive left seem to be increasing in numbers.

MsKitty

He is just loathsome, even without the cyber flashing tendencies. Here’s hoping he steps to the wrong one and soon.

Under a proposed new rule released on Wednesday, the federal government will be able to contribute to 11,000 lawmakers’ and staffers’ healthcare plans.

That would close a loophole in the healthcare law that lawmakers worried could lead to a “brain drain” of talent and skill from Capitol Hill to private positions offering better salaries and more generous benefits packages. —

The amount of money the government can contribute to congressional staffers’ healthcare is no more than they
would have received under their current benefits plan. By law, the
maximum federal contribution is 75 percent of a worker’s premium.
THERE IS MORE — –Another blow 2 a potential CRITICISM! :>)

A growing chorus of attorneys and analysts say Zimmerman didn’t face anything like a serious trial.
August 6, 2013 |

Florida law enforcement, from the local police to the special prosecutor overseeing the Trayvon Martin case, did not want to see George Zimmerman convicted of murder and deliberately threw away the case, allowing their prosecution to crumble. A growing chorus of attorneys and analysts who know jury trials and courtroom procedure say this is the inescapable conclusion to be drawn from the parade of otherwise incoherent missteps by George Zimmerman’s prosecutors.

In hindsight, my view of that case was wishful thinking. I still believe that the jury could have (and had they followed the law, SHOULD have) convicted even with a flawed case, but the state needed to have done better for Trayvon, starting with a real challenge to the Sanford PD and the travesty they called an “investigation” of the murder.

gn

This is why I think that GG has degenerated into lunacy and his cult isn’t much better:

@adept2u
And now this asshole extraordinare Edward Snowden has caused tensions between nuclear armed nations to rise #dumbfuckprivelegedwhiteman

Who would cheer something like this other than someone divorced from reality?

creolechild

Good morning POU.

WebMD Launches An Online Guide To Teach Americans About Obamacare

[….] WedMD on Tuesday announced that it is launching a comprehensive online consumer guide to the health care law dubbed the “Health Care Reform Center.” The interactive page features everything from informational videos about Obamacare’s insurance marketplaces, consumer protections, and enrollment options, to quizzes and FAQs about the law’s provisions, and even personalized calculators that help visitors determine how much help they’ll get from government insurance subsidies.

The online medical resource made its announcement in the same week the federal government launched two sites meant to educate American families and businesses about the Affordable Care Act. Those visiting the new webpages can view training videos and infographics, and sign up for preliminary online accounts that give them information about how the law affects them. Consumers will then be able to use those same accounts to find acceptable health plans and enroll in coverage starting October.[….]

I think it is so awesome that celebs have stepped up to the plate, protesting, boycotting, spreading awareness:

@NBCSports
NBA’s @DwyaneWade and his sons posed as #TrayvonMartin for the cover of @EBONYmag. Check out the photo here: http://bit.ly/11Mh0eQ

Not sure I’ve witnessed black people so unified, everyone from execs and stars and regular people are standing up, with just a very few Ruckus exceptions. From an awful situation and a special child this unity has been brought about.

creolechild

California’s prisons chief to meet with hunger strike advocates

[….] Officials have insisted from the start that they would not negotiate with leaders of the protest, which they say is organized by violent prison gangs seeking greater ability to operate within the state’s sprawling penal system. But lower-level administrators last week solicited feedback from protest leaders at Pelican Bay State Prison on a process the state is developing to review solitary confinement cases.

The meeting with Beard comes on the 26th day of the mass protest, which officials said had about 500 participants Thursday, including 331 inmates who have refused meals since the strike began July 8.[….]

Department of Labor awards more than $5 million in job training grants
to help 1,900 homeless women veterans, veterans with families

The Department of Labor’s Veterans’ Employment and Training Service today announced the award of 22 grants, totaling more than $5 million, to provide about 1,900 homeless female veterans and veterans with families with job training to help them succeed in civilian careers. The grants are being awarded under the department’s Homeless Female Veterans and Veterans with Families Program.[….]

— — It is natural for citizens to have affinity for their home country whether they are patriotic or not, but it is often curious why they take pride in a nation that treats its least fortunate citizens with contempt and apparent disgust they exist. The state of the disadvantaged in America is certainly nothing to be proud of, but it would be worse if Republicans controlled both houses of Congress and the White House. For a glimpse into the deplorable conditions in this country if Republicans were in charge there is a prime example that should serve as a warning that no matter how dreadful America is as a nation, it is nothing near as bad as Texas. It is true that Texas is a large state and its prideful and devoted residents are wont to warn the rest of the nation “not to mess with Texas” and claim it is number one, but the areas the state leads the nation in are as embarrassing as those that put it at the bottom of some very pathetic categories.However, the sad state of affairs in Texas are prime examples of Republicans’ intent for America that they doubtless would be proud of regardless the damaging effects on the people.
— – – -SNIP — –

Texans are prone to boast the superiority of their education system because they do have the nation’s second highest public school enrollment, but they also have the lowest percent of their population (25 and older) with a high school diploma coming in at 50th in the nation. In this one area Texas Republicans are the model national Republicans are aching to follow because Texas’ low graduation rate reflects their paltry investment (49) in education spending and their children’s futures. Republicans in Congress have made slashing education spending a key component of their austerity policy and doubtless their goal is following Texas Republicans’ lead to produce a quarter of the population without a basic high school education. It is not cruel enough for Republicans to keep Texans uneducated, so they are going out of their way to keep their way to keep their residents sick as well.

Warning: Hundreds Of Thousands Of Cars, Damaged During Hurricane Sandy, Now For Sale

[…] “Flood cars are a volatile mixture of water, metal and electricity,” Gamache said. “Once a car is ravaged by water, the mechanical, electrical or safety systems can fail at any time. There’s also the health risk, as mold and bacteria permeate the vents and soft parts of the interior. Know what you’re putting you and your family into before laying down your hard-earned money.”[….]

And though most of the cars, about two-thirds of them, will be sold in
neighboring states, a good third of the vehicles (60-70K) will be sold
further out, so even if you are buying in California or Texas, I recommend having the car checked out both on paper (like a Carfax
report) and by a trusted mechanic, so you don’t put yourself or your
family at any unnecessary risk or fall victim to a crook.[….]

It wasn’t just any terrorist message that triggered U.S. terror alerts and embassy closures—but a conference call of more than 20 far-flung al Qaeda operatives, Eli Lake and Josh Rogin report.

The crucial intercept that prompted the U.S. government to close embassies in 22 countries was a conference call between al Qaeda’s senior leaders and representatives of several of the group’s affiliates throughout the region.This file image from video the AP obtained Feb. 12, 2012, from the SITE Intel Group, an American private terrorist threat analysis company, shows al-Qaeda’s leader Ayman al-Zawahiri in a web posting by al-Qaeda’s media arm, as-Sahab.

The intercept provided the U.S. intelligence community with a rare glimpse into how al Qaeda’s leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, manages a global organization that includes affiliates in Africa, the Middle East, and southwest and southeast Asia.

Several news outlets reported Monday on an intercepted communication last week between Zawahiri and Nasser al-Wuhayshi, the leader of al Qaeda’s affiliate based in Yemen. But The Daily Beast has learned that the discussion between the two al Qaeda leaders happened in a conference call that included the leaders or representatives of the top leadership of al Qaeda and its affiliates calling in from different locations, according to three U.S. officials familiar with the intelligence. All told, said one U.S. intelligence official, more than 20 al Qaeda operatives were on the call.

Let me find out it was intercepted because somebody going on another call accidentally keyed in the Al Qaeda access code.

Miranda

________________________”There are 20 participants on your call..please announce yourself”… This is Kevin in the Maryland office….wait…what are we discussing?

qosine

LOL

PBomb

Ha-Ha!!

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

LOL!

rigoletta

You know somewhere out there there is some terrorist thinking “I thought I was going to be some sort of spy doing James Bond stuff and they got me filling out forms and sitting in on boring conference calls. I didn’t sign up for this!”

Alma98

Wow! It really is a business, lol.

rigoletta

Al Qaeda’s is corporate as hell.

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

Oh, so this really happened! I thought people were joking on Twitter! Dang…

rigoletta

You missed where one dude got kicked out of the group because he wasn’t filing his expense reports.
It sounds like a comedy sketch but it’s real.

– – — —ATLANTA — The most expensive public high school ever built in Georgia opens Wednesday in an old I.B.M. office building.
With 11 stories, a 900-car parking deck and views fit for a corporate executive, the school, North Atlanta High,looks very much like the fancy office buildings and glittery shopping strips that populate its Buckhead community. The school cost about $147 million. That is small change compared with the Robert F. Kennedy high school complex in Los Angeles, built in 2010 for $578 million — a figure critics liked to point out was more expensive than Beijing’s Olympic stadium.

But in the Deep South, where the median cost of a new high school is $38.5 million, it might as well be the Taj Mahal.
As a result, some in this anti government, tax-sensitive part of the
country are grumbling, especially since the project was $50 million over its original budget. “The raw numbers themselves in terms of the cost of construction should give pause to any taxpayer,” said Edward Lindsey,a lawyer and a Republican member of the Georgia House of Representatives.

But for the Atlanta Public Schools, which are just beginning to recover from a cheating scandal that in March brought indictments against 35 educators, including a former superintendent, the shining new school is being pitched as an important step toward redemption. About 48,400 students will attend public school in Atlanta this year, about 400 fewer than last year. “We have a
special obligation here,” said Howard E. Taylor, the new principal. “The district is digging out of a historic crisis.”

He and other educators say that the new school building is an opportunity to show that a large, urban public high school can be a viable alternative to the rising tide of charter schools, voucher systems and private education. Some of the 1,400 students who will attend the school this year come from the wealthiest families in the region, but others, Mr. Taylor said, are homeless. Nearly half are black. About 27 percent are white and 20 percent are Hispanic. They speak more than 40 languages. “If there was ever a model for an urban high school, this is it,” he said.
THERE IS MORE –

PBO once again stated the “I am Trayvon” message but is still fairly muted re: Zimmerman which is why I think that whether DOJ ultimately presses charges or not, they are seriously investigating the murder and are prepared to charge if they have the evidence. I could do without the “disproportionate criminality” but the interview looks really good to me.

creolechild

Talking GOOD: Woman Gives 10,000 Smiles to Sick Kids

Casey Baynes understands on a very personal level that no child wants to feel like they’re different. At a young age, teachers told Casey that her dyslexia would make academics more difficult.[….] For a time, Casey worked for a children’s non-profit, but then left to help run her family’s business. Not finding the work fulfilling, she eventually left that position to follow her heart. She initially met with social workers at hospitals and parents of children fighting cancer, sickle cell disease, cystic fibrosis and other life-threatening illnesses to find out how she could lessen their stress and make a difference in their lives.

Through these experiences, the seeds for the Casey Cares Foundation were planted. Since 2000, the organization Casey created has supported critically ill children and their families by providing uplifting programs with a personal touch. They may not be able to cure illnesses, but they help people manage these awful experiences in compassionate and creative ways. The Foundation offers to lend emotional, financial and moral support to parents and kids during these tough times.[….]

A raucous crowd of supporters and protesters from both ends of the political spectrum showed up outside President Barack Obama’s appearance in Phoenix, Ariz. on Tuesday, with some of his detractors turning to racially charged attacks to express their opposition.

From the Arizona Republic:

Obama foes at one point sang, “Bye Bye Black Sheep,” a derogatory reference to the president’s skin color, while protesters like Deanne Bartram raised a sign saying, “Impeach the Half-White Muslim!”

The Republic reported that hundreds of people gathered outside Desert Vista High School as Obama unveiled a plan to overhaul the nation’s mortgage finance system. Some protesters came from Obama’s left, urging him to reject the Keystone XL oil pipeline and take other actions on climate change. But a prevailing theme among many in the protest appeared to be issues of race. Some even suggested that Obama himself was to blame for racial tensions.

“We have gone back so many years,” Judy Burris told the Republic, arguing Obama had taken the nation back to pre-Civil Rights era levels of racism. “He’s divided all the races. I hate him for that.”

Others carried signs calling for Obama to be impeached, Tucson News Now reported, thought despite the negativity, the majority of those in attendance were Obama fans.

“We have gone back so many years,” Judy Burris told the Republic, arguing Obama had taken the nation back to pre-Civil Rights era levels of racism. “He’s divided all the races. I hate him for that.”
***********
The cowardice and projection is just mind-boggling. If you don’t care for black people, just own it already. Why pretend?

Alma98

These people are loco, you’re singing bah bah black sheep and PBO is the racist.

gn

It’s pure propaganda. They’re engaging in “the big lie” in order to reverse the victim versus the aggressor. Just completely toxic and bereft of truth.

Hey, yeah. I knew I was missing commentary from AG when I posted that pointy fingered witch beggin’ PBO for disaster relief.

Is Aquagranny okay? Did she say she was taking a ‘break’? Y’all are like family. I worry when folks aren’t around.

Town

I thought she said she was going to be on the road visiting family?

TyrenM

Like Town said, vacation.

Kennymack1971

I’m sick of these coward ass 2520s trying to deflect and distract from the fact that they are racists who hate POCs. They fool no one..no one at all.

MsKitty

But they don’t have a single racist bone in their bodies, no siree.

Alma98

What they’re really saying is they want poc to know their place. These idiots know damn well even before PBO was elected this country was divided racially. They’re looking to blame their racism on PBO instead of owning it. My husband was in the grocery store on Sunday. And a young black mom was on cell while she put her items on the conveyor belt. Some crazy ass teabagger told her to get the fuck off phone and hurry up. He kept talking shit to her, my husband and the white man behind them said are we gonna have to kick his ass. The cashier called the assistant manager who then got in line behind him and was about to beat that ass. The manager came and pulled him away and told the guy to leave the store. White racists folks need to know poc are not going to take their shit any more.

rigoletta

Where’s that video of the woman who pepper sprayed the jerk that was harassing her as she was checking out.
People think we are playing. This isn’t 1950. People aren’t having it anymore.

gn

Yikes:

@FOXBaltimore
BREAKING NEWS: A hazmat team, the FBI and a bomb squad are at @ElijahECummings office.

Alma98

WTH!

http://pragmaticobotsunite.blogspot.com/ Sepia

It’s at his Baltimore office, not the one in DC.

creolechild

Nonstop Facebook Over Oceans Coming Soon to Jet Near You

Airline passengers pining for faster in-flight Internet access anywhere in the world — even over the oceans — are about to get their wish as satellite operators find success where Boeing Co. failed a decade ago.[….] ViaSat Inc., whose service will debut on JetBlue Airways Corp. aircraft next month, promises more satellite-delivered bandwidth for each passenger than current market leader Gogo Inc. can offer to an entire plane.[….]

So-called spot beams from the new satellites deliver a more concentrated signal than those blanketing a region with TV images. There’s enough bandwidth for scores of fliers to share, with moving jets handed seamlessly from one beam to another.[….]

I don’t really have anything against the Graham family and I believe that they have truly earned the intense loyalty of Washington Post employees and veterans. I understand the sadness people are feeling over the sale of the Post to Jeff Bezos of Amazon.com. I do.

But these people need to understand how truly awful the Washington Post has been for decades now. To properly document the atrocities committed by the Post would take up an entire career, but you can get a taste just by opening up the opinion page any day of the week.

But rather than even get into the details of how the paper operates, perhaps it would be better to just stipulate that the Post reflects the common wisdom and values of the upper crust of Georgetown society, and that that society has been letting America down since at least the moment that LBJ was sworn in on Air Force One.

We have been failed by our leaders repeatedly, and we have come to have contempt for them, and definitely not for the reasons Sally Quinn imagines. They see themselves as honorable, and permanent, and impervious to whatever ideology is ascendent in town at any particular time.

The television parallel of the Post is CNN, which similarly employs people for life without regard for performance and takes an agnostic stance on which side of any argument has more merit, instead focusing on the dispute itself. Ever since Jon Stewart appeared on Crossfire with hosts Tucker Carlson and Paul Begala, it’s been clear that this kind of politics-as-show agnosticism is the worst kind of hackery and that it’s hurting the country. Mr. Stewart actually single-handedly killed Crossfire (at least, he did for a number of years) by simply shining an honest light on what they did and why it sucked.

http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2013/08/12/obama-golf-7/
Barry has been caught in yet another lie. Four years ago he said the reason he didn’t socialize with the D.C. elite or members of Congress was his devotion to his family. He was never home during the campaign and now that they were ‘living above the store’, he intended to spend all of his spare time with family. Reggie Love must be a close family member…closer than we thought.
(Presidents are entitled to their vacations. But when they themselves justify it by saying it is to spend more time with their family, shouldn’t they actually do that – spend time with the family?)